Memorandum submitted by Sunderland City
Council
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Sunderland City Council is an excellent
authority as assessed by the Audit Commission through the Comprehensive
Performance Assessment process in which libraries and leisure
scored four out of four.
1.2 The Library Service was awarded Beacon
Status for "Libraries as a Community Resource" in 2002-03
and was part of two other Beacon awards "Regenerating through
Culture, Sport and Tourism" and "Social Inclusion through
ICT".
1.3 Sunderland City Council welcomes the
New Inquiry into Public Libraries and hopes this evidence will
assist the Committee's considerations.
1.4 This evidence will be structured around
the following areas in response to the issues listed in the Inquiry:
(iii) The 21 Century Library.
2. BACKGROUND
AND CONTEXT
2.1 The National response from the Society
of Chief Librarians (SCL) clearly sets outs the roles that Public
Libraries play at a community level, the framework in which we
operate on a national level, and in particular draws attention
to the statutory nature of the service and the issues relating
to this.
2.2 This submission relates to how the Public
Library Service operates within the context of Sunderland City
Council. Currently this is delivered through a network of static
service points; mobile units (including a mobile ICT learning/information
unit); Books on Wheels (Housebound) Service; Patients Library
(Hospital) Service; and Schools Library Service.
2.3 Sunderland City Council delivers its
Public Library Service through the responsibility of a Community
and Cultural Services directorate and the Portfolio Holder for
Culture, Arts, Sports and Leisure.
2.4 The financial and service planning procedures
and processes of the City Council are such that they can take
into account the needs and priorities of all services and a corporate
approach is made in such matters.
2.5 The City Council firmly believes in
local democracy and users citizen consultation eg citizens panel
to assist with such planning processes.
3. ACCESSIBILITY
3.1 The mobile and static provision covers
an area of some 138 square kilometres. The responsibility for
maintaining these static services points lies elsewhere in the
City Council but is managed through such policies and strategies
as Asset Management Plan; DDA and Health and Safety agendas which
the Library Service contributes to.
3.2 Currently the Public Library Service
has refurbished or relocated seven service points over the last
10 years. These have been driven by:
(1) Funding opportunities.
(2) Partnership opportunities.
(3) Private investment opportunities (including
a PFI scheme which incorporated a secondary school, community
and swim facilities, Electronic Village Hall and other partnership
agencies).
3.3 Further opportunities are emerging through
the City Council's—Peoplefirst agenda. Peoplefirst is the
name chosen by residents of the City for the Council's customer
service transformation programme; it is a wide ranging programme
that aims to improve service levels and ease of access to Council
services. Libraries have been identified as a key partner in this
programme.
3.4 An intensive review of opening hours
took place in 2002 with the main aim of gathering both users and
non-users views in relation to existing library opening hours.
As a result we are piloting opening hours in two service points
based on local consultation. Based on the findings from those
who took part in the consultation library service points have
extended hours over lunch times and Saturdays but with a reduction
in hours during evening opening.
3.5 The Public Library Service in Sunderland
is in the process of building up the evidence base for the physical
needs of the service by appointing consultants to map current
provision and consider it in terms of:
(i) Access—physical, transport etc.
(ii) Recent changes to the Community Profiles
of these services points—demographic; social etc.
(iii) National Context—Public Library
Standards, Framework for the Future.
This will be used to inform future planning
of the service based on local needs.
4. 21ST CENTURY
LIBRARY
4.1 The vision of the Library Service in
Sunderland is to provide a responsive and quality public library
and information service through a socially inclusive programme,
which widens lifelong learning and reading opportunities, to support
the regeneration of the City and the wellbeing of its citizens.
This is underpinned by five key aims—which are:
— Fostering Excellence and Quality.
— Social Inclusion/Access/Lifelong
Learning.
— Communication and Staff Development.
4.2 In addition during a recent restructure
four new specialist posts were introduced to the staffing establishment.
These posts are:
(1) E-Resources and Information.
(3) Learning Development.
4.3 This illustrates clearly the priorities
of the service in Sunderland and how the service is ensuring it
is a modern responsive service taking local needs to it's heart.
At the same time addressing the issues as illustrated in Framework
for the Future[51]
and taking into account the multi-role and expectations of the
service as illustrated in the response from Society of Chief Librarians.
4.4 In broad terms all service points in
Sunderland offer free access to:
— Books, information and reading.
— Computers/internet for purposeful
study and research.
— Access online to digital information.
— Programme of events, activities and
clubs for varying age-groups, including a Visually Impaired Reading
Club.
— Trained staff who mediate and assist
with technology and resources.
— Access to formal ICT courses.
— Access to courses relating to basic
skills.
— Local Studies/genealogical information
and knowledge.
4.5 These services are delivered against
a benchmark of quality initiatives including Chartermark; IIP;
and Matrix Accreditation.
4.6 For many people in Sunderland, the Library
Service is a key presence in their community which gives access
to information, social, cultural and learning opportunities.
4.7 The People's Network project has enabled
vital improvements to connectivity and allowed a vast expansion
to the number of Public Access machines and digital equipment
and has assisted in the increase of visitors to service points.
4.8 Like many other local authorities, Sunderland
is struggling to sustain these services and is currently relying
on the "traditional bookfund" to do this.
4.9 Whereas it is recognised that "bookfunds"
are used not only to purchase books, and sound and vision items,
it is also used to "secure; promote and market these products
through a variety of means". The Library Materials Fund in
Sunderland, due to previous cuts is already very much under pressure.
The funds are now even more stretched to support the digitisation
of material and sustaining networks, hardware and software, thus
challenging the support to the multi-functional role the modern
library has to play in the life of the community.
5. ISSUES
5.1 The key issues in Sunderland, are similar
to those in other Authorities and include:
(i) Political support at budget setting,
locally and nationally, will ensure that the role that libraries
play are recognised and prioritised.
(ii) Positioning is required to deliver council-wide
information and ensure nationally and locally recognition of position
experience and knowledge that exists around information management
and retrieval, and with further support can become more generic
to support wider Council agendas and priorities.
(iii) Sustainability of ICT as described
in 4.9.
(iv) Retention of staff. Public Library staff
are often amongst the lowest paid in local authorities and this
generates a large turn-over of staff.
(v) Improvements of ageing buildings. Whereas
Sunderland has been fortunate and sought opportunities to improve
some old, unattractive buildings this has relied on opportunities
and foresight of partners, other local authority departments etc.
Whereas DFES has recognised this as an issue for schools (Building
Schools for the Future; Extended Schools) etc, there is no such
national recognition or financial support for Public Libraries
yet physical improvements when made have increased usage.
11 November 2004
51 Framework for the Future: Libraries, Learning and
Information in the Next Decade, DCMS February 2003. Back
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